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Requeening a Package

I want to try something this year but before I do I would like some feedback. In an attempt to give my stock a better chance at surviving without treatment I am looking to order up "Survivor" trait queens and put the survivor queen in the package to be released in place of the queen that came with the package. (The replacement queen would be added the same day I get the package.) I have purchased "stock" packages of bees since beginning beekeeping and they simply dont last. Therefore I end up purchasing more bees each year. I want to attempt to upgrade my hives with queens that are bred to survive treatment free.

So two questions. Anyone see a problem with this? If so what would it be?

Second question - Can you suggest someone who sells "survivor" queens. I know of Oliverez (sp?) but would like to look into others just for comparison purposes.

Re: Requeening a Package

Sure you could do that. I think logistically it maybe more challenging. Making sure the packages and the queens arrive at the same time. It maybe easier to requeen the packages later on in the year once they are up and going.

I thought Oliverez sell package bees? Why not buy packages straight from them and skip the requeening.

Re: Requeening a Package

There is the logistics side of it, but I think I have that worked out. If not I can certainly do as you suggest. I live in Oregon and have few options for "survivor" type bees. I'm too far away to pick up packages from Oliverez. If they, or someone else for that matter was closer, that would certainly be the way to go, but I just dont have those kind of options available to me.

Re: Requeening a Package

It is your money and you have a right to spend it any way you want. That being said, you are being silly and wasting money. You are courting disaster by trying to get frangible commodities that are very dependent on the whims of nature to successfully 'tie' each other at your location. Do your research and find the bloodline and vendor of your dreams. It is a sure thing that quality queens will be much more available in July than in the spring. You may also get a better price.

Re: Requeening a Package

Then If I were you I would find a different mode of action--I would only requeen the queens that show poor quality traits several weeks after introduction of the packages.

Also you mention you are having trouble overwintering/surviving of colonies--How many do you have and how many did you lose--management style may help you alot more than genetics, especially if we are only talking about a few hives.

Re: Requeening a Package

This last year I started with four hives. Two packages of Carnies and then two nucs of "Survivor" bees from Old Sol. By Sept mites had taken one Survivor hive and one Carnie hive. In the last few weekswhen we had numerous nights of single digits, I the remaining Carnie hive. Pretty much giving up on them as much as I like them because they dont winter well. The remaining Survivor hive is all thats left. Dont know what else I could do (certainly open to suggestion) because I am not doing treatments. Thanks for your help.

Re: Requeening a Package

No treatments meaning no chemicals. I had some left over honey so the packages got started on it and I didnt need to feed. Bottom box is a deep with small cell. The two mediums above it use foundationless frames. The Carnies went crazy and grew fast and big. I actually got a fair amount of honey from them. The one Carnie that went into winter had huge numbers, but Carnies naturally pull their numbers down more for winter than Italians do and I think that is why they struggle with winter. What other treatments did you have in mind?

Re: Requeening a Package

I'm south of Klamath Falls and our weather is as cold as yours and the carnis. do very well here. They do have smaller clusters but that keeps them from starving out in our cold springs. Also I treat for mites with miteaway quick stips and they so far work great.

Re: Requeening a Package

Two things,

I would place both queens in the cluster once you pour the bees. Leave the caps on both queens. Remove the sugar caps on the one you want "out" after 2 days and let the bees chew her out. Pull the "old queen" out at the same time. Let em rip>>>>

Your bigger challenge is finding true "survivor" queen stock. Besides anecdotal evidence which many folks claim to have achieved I was wondering what "Statistical analysis" you are looking for/ are requiring in determining your "survivor" choices?

Re: Requeening a Package

whalers, I started out last year and tried to do this. The original package and queen arrived the same week but the package was mostly drowned by the syrup so I hived what I had with the special queen. When the replacement package came almost two weeks later I hived that queen with 2 lbs of bees and then I used about a pound of the bees to boost the numbers of the drowned package bees but to no avail, the queen never layed and they died out. The replacement package queen was a bit of a dud so I replaced her late summer and that hive was doing well as of a week ago.

From my experience I would agree that despite a great plan, there is a lot beyond our control with ordering/receiving bees and one thing going wrong can end in dead bees. Requeening later in the year worked out really well though.

Re: Requeening a Package

Basically I'm looking for stock that receives no treatment. They survive on their own. There are also places where the queens a bred for these traits. You have to understand I'm going the no treatment route. My own experience shows little success with treating and so I am simply looking for bees that come from stock that has shown it has what it takes to make it on its own. It cant be any worse than buying bees every year because the "over the counter" bees dont make it.